In brief: Trail Blazers keep Nets 0-for-season

NBA: The New Jersey Nets moved a loss closer to the record for the NBA’s worst start to a season on Wednesday night when they dropped their 15th straight game, 93-83 to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The NBA record is 17 straight losses to start a season, set by the 1988-89 expansion Miami Heat and matched by the Los Angeles Clippers in the lockout-shortened 1999 season.

•James leads way for Cavs: LeBron James scored 12 of his 34 points in the first quarter, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers build a cushion and cruise to a 98-88 win over the host Detroit Pistons. Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 25 points.

Kentucky edges Stanford in OT

College basketball: Freshman sensation John Wall scored a season-best 23 points, including clutch shots in the final minute that sent the game to overtime, and No. 5 Kentucky closed with an eight-point run for a 73-65 victory over gritty Stanford in the championship game of the Cancun (Mexico) Challenge

•Duke gets by Arizona State: Jon Scheyer had 16 points and six assists, and No. 7 Duke used a 19-3 second-half run to take control of a 64-53 victory over Arizona State in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off in New York.

Duke (5-0) led the Sun Devils (4-1) by only four at halftime.

The Blue Devils will face No. 13 Connecticut in the championship game Friday at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies beat LSU 81-55 in the other semifinal.

•Wisconsin downs Maryland: Jason Bohannon scored 20 points and Jon Leuer added 16, leading the Wisconsin Badgers (4-1) to a 78-69 victory over the No. 21 Maryland Terrapins (4-2) in the third-place game of the Maui Invitational on Wednesday at the Lahaina (Hawaii) Civic Center.

In the fifth-place game, A.J. Ogilvy scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Jermaine Beal added 18 points and five assists to lead No. 24 Vanderbilt (4-1) to an 84-72 win over Arizona (3-2).

•UCLA’s Dragovic reinstated: UCLA reinstated senior Nikola Dragovic after the Serbian forward’s two-game suspension for his arrest in an assault case.

•Lady Vols roll: Glory Johnson scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Angie Bjorklund (University HS) added 16 points as sixth-ranked Tennessee (4-0) beat host Middle Tennessee 69-52 before the first sellout crowd in Blue Raiders’ history in Murfreesboro.

Nadal loses to Davydenko

Tennis: Rafael Nadal fell out of contention for a spot in the semifinals at the ATP World Tour Finals with a second straight defeat, losing 6-1, 7-6 (4) to Nikolay Davydenko in London.

Earlier, Robin Soderling became the first player to reach the semis of the season-ending tournament by beating Novak Djokovic 7-6 (5), 6-1 in round-robin play.

In the other group, Roger Federer clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking on Tuesday by beating Andy Murray. Federer also has a 2-0 record, but has not clinched a semifinal spot.

Coroner says Fein died of overdose

NFL: The Kitsap County, Wash., coroner says football player Tony Fein died of an accidental drug overdose.

Coroner Greg Sandstrom that toxicology tests showed “acute opiate (morphine) intoxication” with the added effect of Alprazolam, a drug used to treat anxiety. Sandstrom says Fein also vomited and aspirated that material.

Fein collapsed Oct. 6 at a friend’s house near Port Orchard and died at Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton.

The 27-year-old from Port Orchard was an Army veteran who served in Iraq. The linebacker was an undrafted rookie free agent from the University of Mississippi who played for the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens in the preseason.

•Giants running back Bradshaw out: New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw won’t play at Denver today because of a sprained left ankle.

•Texans safety out for season: Houston Texans safety Eugene Wilson will have season-ending surgery to repair a pair of broken toes on his left foot.

•Bills reportedly meet with Shanahan: Two-time Super Bowl winner Mike Shanahan met with the Buffalo Bills to discuss their head coaching vacancy, according to a ESPN.com, which also reported that former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren turned down the job.

Crosby helps Pens continue hot streak

•NHL: Sidney Crosby scored a goal and set up another with an no-look pass and the Pittsburgh Penguins matched a franchise record for most victories in their first 25 games, beating the visiting Montreal Canadiens 3-1. The Penguins are 17-8 with five victories in six games.

Moyer hospitalized in Philadelphia

Baseball: Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer has been hospitalized due to recurring symptoms from groin surgery in September. The team announced that Moyer has been admitted to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital but did not give any more information about his condition.